Chug: Chihuahua Pug Mix

Chihuahua Pug MixThe Chug is a mixed dog breed that is a crossbreed between a Pug & Chihuahua. The Chug is what is known as a designer breed which means since the dog is half Pug and half Chihuahua you won’t know what type of characteristics or temperament your dog will have.

Your dog will have different types of characteristics or temperament since the dog is half Pug and half Chihuahua .

Cross-breeds such as the Chug have become popular over the past ten or twenty years because people want different types of dogs. 

People started to develop this breed for people with allergies, but that ended up not working because both breeds are shedding dogs.

Chihuahua Pug Mix History

Let’s dive into the history of this breed as well as the history of the parents that help make up this breed. Let’s start learning about the Pug breed.

The Pug breed has a long line of history dating back to centuries before this one. It is known that the Pug spent a lot of time in the country of China, but it is said that the Pug first originated in Tibet.

The Emperor of China was very fond of this dog breed and kept the breed for many years. The royals liked to use this dog breed as a lap dog.

Eventually, Dutch trading ships got a hold of this dog breed and brought the breed over to many other countries such as Germany, England, and France.

Many centuries later, the Pug was brought to the United States and got accepted into the American Kennel Club in 1885.

The Chihuahua is another dog breed that has been around for many centuries. The Chihuahua hails from Mexico to as early as 300 B.C.

The ancient Aztecs believed these dogs to be healers sent from the dead in the afterlife to watch over the family. so naturally, almost every family had a Chihuahua in their home. 

Later they were brought to the United States and got recognized by the American Kennel club in the early 1900s. The Chihuahua is part of the toy group category. 

The breeding of both these purebred breeds happened in the early 2000s. This was done to help create a hybrid Pug breed that wouldn’t suffer from the traditional Pug breathing issues. 

This is now a very popular hybrid dog breed that you can find a breeder pretty much anywhere. 

Chug Infographic

Chug’s Appearance

Both the Pug and Chihuahua are small breed dogs so when you combine both of these breeds together you will still get a small dog breed. 

This breed has small legs with an oval-shaped body. The muzzle of the dog will be short as the face may have that pushed in appearance like the Pug parent.

Just like the Pug parent, this dog breed will have a lot of wrinkles on the face that will need to be cleaned often in your grooming routine.

The coat of the dog will typically be short like the Pug and Chihuahua. You will find that the Chug tends to look more like the Pug parent. 

What colors do they come in?

Below you will find a list of different colors that your Chug may certainly come in:

  • Black
  • Brindle
  • Cream
  • White
  • Brown

Group Of Chugs

Chug’s Size

The Pug and Chihuahua are both naturally small breeds, so the Chug is going to be around the same size as them.  The Chug will weight somewhere between 10 to 20 pounds at the most 25 pounds.

They will get between 6 to 12 inches tall. They usually have a short muzzle and medium-sized ears that are usually folded. They have big eyes just like the regular Pug!

Chihuahua Pug Mix Personality

All personalities can range from breed to breed; even with the Chug, you can get significantly different personalities ranging from dog to dog. The Chug has a lot of amazing characteristics from both the Pug and Chihuahua.

Pugs tend to be the more laid back and love to be with their owners all day.   Pugs usually love all people, and they are more of a chill type of dog. If your Chug has more of the Chihuahua characteristics, then you should expect your dog to be a little sassier and a little yappy. 

Hopefully, you will get the Chug that has the best of both world’s qualities like smart and sociable!

Chug’s Temperament

Temperament is affected by a number of factors, including heredity, training, and socialization. Puppies with nice temperaments are curious and playful; they will also want to be held by them.

Socialization helps ensure that your puppy grows up to be a well-rounded adult dog!

Chugs are very lively dogs, so if you notice your Chug to be shy or aggressive, that’s not a good sign.  You really want to find a puppy who has high energy with a sweet temperament.

Make sure you ask the breeder you’re getting your chug from how the parent’s personalities are because that will reflect in your puppy.

Chug Puppies Sitting

Chihuahua Pug Mix Coat

Both the Pug and Chihuahua have very short smooth feeling coats. Since both breeds have that your chug will inherit that as well.

The bad thing with this breed is that both the Pug and Chihuahua are both big-time shedders, so your Chug will be a shedder, and that is hugely important when picking a dog breed. 

The color of your Chugs coat really depends on what color the Chihuahua is. Pugs are usually tan with a black-gray face, but the Chihuahua can come in all sorts of colors, so it will depend on that.

Their body type can also vary because your Chug could have a Pug looking body type or a Chihuahua body type.

Chihuahua and Pug Mix Grooming

The Chug is a heavy shedder, so grooming for this breed will have to be done more often than others. Their coat really should be brushed once a day because they shed so much this will help all their hair go in on place instead of on you or your nice couch.

You should also bathe your dog once a week to remove any excess hair and oils. It is very important that when you are drying your Chug that you get in their wrinkles because they can start to develop yeast there.

So keep that area clean and dry as much as possible. Usually, dogs will naturally trim their own nails from being outside, but if your dog is more of an indoor animal, make sure nails are trimmed short.

I suggest going to a groomer because you don’t want to cut into a blood vessel.

Start grooming your dog as a puppy so they can get accustomed to it. Make sure you make the experience as positive as possible for them with lots of praise afterward.

If your dog has a bad experience with grooming, that’s it from there on out; they will hate it.

As you groom, check for sores, rashes, or signs of infection such as redness, tenderness, or inflammation on the skin, in the nose, mouth, and eyes, and on the feet. Eyes should be clear, with no redness or discharge.

Chugs Playing

Chug Health Issues

Chugs are generally healthy, but like all breeds, they can be prone to certain health conditions. Not all Chugs will get any of these health problems but it’s good to be aware of them.

In no way are we saying your dog has this or will have these. If you’re buying a puppy, find a good breeder who will show you the health clearances for both your puppy’s parents.

Health clearances prove that a dog has been tested for certain diseases.

Hip Dysplasia: this is an inherited condition where the thighbone doesn’t fit snugly into the hip bone. You will notice this on the health clearances from your breeder.

Patellar Luxation: the patellar is the knee cap, and Luxation means dislocation. Patellar Luxation is when the knee joint slides out of place, causing pain. Most dogs have this condition, but it doesn’t come out until much later in life or not at all.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy: eye diseases that involve the gradual deterioration of the retina. Affected dogs become night-blind; they lose sight during the day as the disease progresses. There are no known ways to fix this yet.

Respiratory Problems: The Pug gives the Chug the inherited trait of the smashed face. Because of that, the Chug may have a hard time breathing and even sleeping. They can get very winded after exercise too!

Life Expectancy of a Chug

The life expectancy of a Chug can be quite a long time, typically in the 10 to 13 range of life.

Some factors that contribute to this longer life span is the Chihuahua parent can live between 15 and 20 years.

The Pug can live right around 12 and 15 years, which gives the Chug this average span of life.

This breed will be prone to certain health conditions that contribute to the life expectancy.

If you are even concerned about anything, you can consult your local veterinarian.

Living Conditions

There are some traits that make the Chug truly unique, one of them being their yappy-ness. This dog breed gets this trait from the Chihuahua parent. If you have close neighbors, they may not appreciate all that noise.

This is a small dog breed, so they are suitable and comfortable for apartment living. They might not do so good with combing up and down multiple flights of stairs, but if you carry your dog or use an elevator, they should be fine. 

This breed also has a hard time in extremely hot weather. This breed gets very winded easily, so you will need to keep an eye out if your dog is winded or overheating. During the hot summer months, it’s best to keep your dog indoors near the A.C. as much as possible. 

Chug Exercise

The Chug breed doesn’t need a whole lot of exercise a day.  In most cases, a 30-minute walk a day is really all they need. Depending on how much Chihuahua is in, your Chug could lead to how hyper your Chug is.

Playtime in a park or a yard isn’t necessary, but your Chug will love that! Make sure in the summer not to overheat your dog when playing outside. Chugs have thick coats and have respiratory problems, so when it’s warmer outside, they tend to have breathing problems.

Try to keep your dog inside on those hot summer months and let them come out to get exercise in the late evening when the temperature is a lot cooler. 

Chugs do love to play with toys, so you can always have some exercise and playtime indoors. 

Chihuahua Pug Mix Training

Chugs are very easy to train. Typically this breed is very intelligent and fast learning when it comes to potty training or crate training.

Some dogs may take longer, but if you start them as a puppy with potty training, it will be a breeze. Remember always to praise your dog with treats when training because positive reinforcement is the key to a well-trained dog!

Chug Feeding

How much your adult dog eats depends on his size, age, build, metabolism, and activity level. Dogs are individuals, just like people, and they don’t all need the same amount of food.

The quality of your dog food also makes a big difference. The better the food, the more nourishment it will give your dog.

A Chug usually needs about ½ to 1 cup of high-quality dry food a day. This should be spread up into two separate meals for them.

Depending on the food you give your dog your estimated daily cost will be around $0.65 to $1.00 a day.

You can also give your Chug wet food as a puppy but it’s good to rely on dry food which is better for them. Remember to give your Chug lots of water because chugs can get dehydrated easily.

Chihuahua and Pug Mix Puppy

The Chug can be quite hard to find a breeder for. A lot of people also choose not to get this breed because of the health concerns that this breed could potentially have In the future. 

When you do decide to get a Chug puppy, make sure you look for a reliable breeder.

Make sure the breeder can show you all the information you want to know about their dog’s health history.

A Chug puppy will typically cost around $450 to $900. The price will vary from breeder to breeder as well as what they offer before giving you the puppy such as supplies, food, vet visit, or even a microchipped puppy. 

Any of those factors can add to the price of the puppy.

Sometimes you can get lucky, and you will be able to find a Chug in a rescue at a way cheaper price than a puppy from a breeder. Just remember that not all rescues will have the exact breed you are looking for.

If you do get lucky and find a Chug, it will most likely be an older dog.

Chihuahua and Pug Mix Litter Size

There is no exact number of litter size for Chugs because it can greatly vary from dog to dog. Usually, the female carrying puppies is a Pug parent and can have between three and four puppies in a single litter.

If the female parent is a Chihuahua, there could be even fewer puppies in a litter because the Chihuahua is a lot smaller, so maybe just one or two puppies per litter. 

You will most likely find the pug parent being the one that carries the babies. 

Close relatives of the Chug

here you will find a few breeds that are very similar to the Chug breed, check them out!



2 thoughts on “Chug: Chihuahua Pug Mix”

  1. Not really a comment but a question. I know this may depend on the breeder themselves, but as far as the ballpark goes what is the average price of a Chug? If we raise them together will he/she get along with our 2 Siamese kittens (brother and sister). All 3 will have harnesses and leashes so we can take all 3 for a walk, even though they will remain mostly in the house. These will be built up over time to 30 min. morning and evening. As long as I, our my husband, are outside then the chug will enjoy extra playtime in our fenced in lot. Thanks for the info on health issues they MIGHT have, fore warned is fore armed.

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  2. I had a hug…Princess Lulu???she passed in 2017, at the age of 17yrs. Plus. Would give anything to get another?

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